Ceiling carried fabric louver structure



Oct. 24, 1950 E. RAMBUSCH CEILING CARRIED FABRIC LOUVER STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 5, 1948 IN V EN TOR Fan 4R0 Amvauscu M I T TOPNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1950 CEILING CARRIED FABRIC LOUVER STRUCTURE Edward Rambusch, Harrison, N. Y., assignor to Rambusch Decorating Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 5, 1948, Serial No. 42,639

The present invention relates to ceiling carried structures and is more particularly directed toward structures carried overhead, usually close to the ceiling, and designed to effect both sound-absorption and light control.

It has heretofore been common to provide the overhead of rooms with a series of crossed louvers in a region slightly below the ceiling surface for the purpose of concealing large fluorescent light sources against observation at the normal angle of view. These ceilings, known as louverall ceilings, have customarily employed long parallel fluorescent li ht sources with or without down acting reflectors, and vertical egg crate louvers below the light sources, the louvers arranged close enough together in each direction to suitably screen the light sources against observation. These louvers have generally been in the form of opaque plates made of metal or plastic. The dominant objective was obscuration of lighting equipment and concealment of superstructures, without loss of direct light for down lighting.

The present invention contemplates improvements in such ceiling treatments according to which the louver material is in the form of han ing strips of sound absorbing material such as woven fabric of textile fibers, including glass fibers and asbestos. This fabric is soft, and clothlike material, may be translucent, white or colored, is attractive to the eye, has excellent soundabsorbing properties and is, or may be made, fireproof.

According to the present invention, a suitable framework is supported below the ceiling or below the superstructure in such a way that all the eye sees, when looking in a normal direction of view, is a series of crossed curtains of fabric. These curtains hide or obscure the lighting equipment and other superstructures so that the eye is not conscious at any time of what may be above or behind the curtains. They also act as sound-absorber irrespective of whether or not the lamps are lighted, and the use of such louvers makes it possible to avoid the expense of providing or maintaining the usual acoustic ceiling.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawing show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, one embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a celling treatment;

Figure 2 is a perspective viewshowing the celling treatment at an enlarged scale with parts Omitted;

9 Claims. (c1, 240-9) Figure 3 is a perspective view at a still larger scale showing structural features;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the plane 4-4 of Figure 3;

V Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 6-5 of Figure 2.

A suitable form of support for the ceilin treatment and lighting fixtures may be in the form of channels In suitably secured to the ceiling or other superstructure and preferably spaced the length, for example 4 or 8 feet, of the wireway unit I I employed to support the fluorescent lamps I2. While the drawing shows a single lampon a simple wireway, it is, of course, obvious that a multiple lamp wireway, with or without reflectors may be employed. Channels 10 also support hanger rods l3 midway between the wiring channels H. These rods l3 carry clamps H at the lower ends adapted to support horizontal bars ii of tubular configuration with a downwardly opening slot I6 as indicated and regularly spaced holes I1.

The longitudinal louver strips 20 are made of long strips of cloth whose upper edges are hemmed and receive rods 2| and whose lower edges are hemmed and receive strips 22. These rods and strips are preferably metal. Long lengths of these longitudinal louvers may be inserted into the tubular carriers and they will hang down under the influence of the weighted bar 22 and will remain straight and even. The length of the longitudinal louver pieces and of the carriers are usually a multiple of a lamp length.

The transverse louvers are made in units as indicated at 25. Each unit of transverse is made in the same way as the longitudinal louvers but of length corresponding with the spacing of the longitudinal louvers. The upper tubular element 26 of the transverse louvers carries two slldable brackets 21,21 having hooks 28 adapted to enter into the holes l1.

The screening action of the louvers is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. A typical installation has the lamps 24" apart, the longitudinal louvers the same distance apart and the transverse louvers a fraction of the lamp length, for example 16" for 48" lamps. The lamp centers are 2%" above the top of the louvers and the louvers are 8%" wide. With such an arrangement one obtains an absolute screening angle below the horizontal of about transversely, Figure 5, and 30 longitudinally, Figure 6, and the transverse screening angle with respect to the lamp is about One therefore does not see a lamp broadside at angles greater than substantially 45 to the nadir and can only see a short length of it end on" at angles more than 30 from the horizontal.

3 Light, whether artificial or natural, at sumciently steep angles, passes between the louvers without interference or losses. Wherever the source is screened by a translucent fabric, it has a surface brightness made up in part of transmitted light.

The preferred fabric is glass cloth. It is fireproof, does not deteriorate over long periods, can be white or colored, has high reflection factor and may be made sufficiently translucent to transmit some light.

The longitudinal louvers may be hung before or after the lamps are inserted in place, and, after both lamps and longitudinal louvers are located, the transverse louvers may readily be brought into position by passing them up between the longitudinal louvers and swinging them into place so that the hooks 28 enter the holes II. The brackets 21 can be adjusted so as to take up slack and insure a tight rattle-free structure.

Whenever it is necessary to relamp the fixture or to clean the lamps, access may readily be had by removing the transverse louvers. Both longitudinal and transverse louvers may be lowered at any time, the rods and the reinforcements removed and the glass cloth laundered.

Ceiling treatment such as shown herein provides sound-absorption at all times. It is especially effective for suppressing echoes and sounds with wave fronts moving generally horizontal. It conceals the. lamps or other superstructure against being seen at ordinary angles of observation. The glass fabric louvers beingslightly translucent and highly reflective provide a very uniform overall ceiling brightness. All parts may be of the same color, or accent patterns may readily be obtained by suitable arrangements of color in particular cells where desired.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Sound absorbing ceiling treatment comprising a series of parallel longitudinal woven fabric louvers and a series of similar transverse louvers all at a common level and forming rectangular cells.

2. Sound absorbing ceiling treatment comprising a series of parallel longitudinal glass cloth louvers and a series of similar transverse louvers all at a common level and forming rectangular cells.

3. An overhead sound absorbing and light baffling structure comprising woven fabric curtains arranged in longitudinal and transverse directions to form rectangular cells open at the top and bottom, the spacing and depth of the curtains being such as to provide absolute screening angles of between about 20 and about 30 below the horizontal.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the fabric is glass cloth.

5. An overhead sound absorbing and light baffling structure for use with parallel rows of regularly spaced artificial light sources at a common level comprising fabric curtains spaced the same as the sources and transverse fabric curtains spaced substantially less than the spacing of the sources to form rectangular cells, the curtains having a width to spacing relation such as to provide an absolute cutoff angle of from about 20 to about 30' below the horizontal, the longitudinal curtains being midway between thelight sources and spaced below them to intercept light from the sources between substantially 20 below the horizontal and substantially 45 below the horizontal.

6. For use with a superstructure of extended area in the normal field of view to conceal said superstructure and absorb sound, a series of regularly spaced, longitudinally extended hanging woven fabric louvers, and a series of transversely extending regularly spaced hanging woven fabric louvers, all the louvers being .at a. common level and forming rectangular cells with sound absorbing walls which screen objects therebeyond against direct observation at normal angles of view without interfering with the passage of light flux at angles steeper than the screening angle.

7. For use with a superstructure of extended area in the normal field of view to conceal said superstructure and absorb sound, a series of regularly spaced, longitudinally extended hanging glass cloth louvers, and a series of transversely extending regularly spaced hanging glass cloth louvers, all the louvers being at a common level and forming rectangular cells with sound absorbing wall which screen objects therebeyond against direct observation at normal angles of view without interfering with the passage of light flux at angles steeper than the screening angle.

8. For use with a ceiling carrying parallel rows of rectilinear light sources, a combined sound absorbing and light source shielding ceiling tr atment comprising a series of longitudinally extending, light diffusing, sound absorbing woven fabric louvers located midway between the light sources and extending from a level slightly below the sources to a level such as to intercept light in transverse planes at angles of greater than substantially 45 above the nadir, and a series of similar transverse louvers between the longitudinal louvers spaced a distance such as intercept light in longitudinal planes at angles greater than substantially 60 from the nadir.

9. Equipment for down lighting and sound absorption, comprising parallel rows of tubular lamps, louver supports slightly below the level of the lamps and parallel with the lamps, difiusing woven fabric louvers detachably carried by the louver supports, transverse louver supports detachably carried by the first mentioned louver supports, and similar louvers carried by the transverse supports.

EDWARD RAIVHBUSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numer Name Date 1,730,826 Robbins Oct. 8, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 589,790 Germany Dec. 13, 1933 OTHER REFERENCES Recommended Practice of Oiilce Lighting, published in July 1947 by the Illuminating Engineering Society, 51 Madison Ave., N. Y., 47 pages, price 50. (There is a copy in class 240-9, Division 65.) 

